UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: April 13, 2018
(Date of earliest event reported)

Royale Energy, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE
 
000-55912
 
33-02224120
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
 
(Commission File Number)
 
(IRS Employer Identification No.)

1870 Cordell Court, Suite 210
El Cajon, California 92020
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(619) 383-6600
 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
 


☐           Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
          
☐           Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
          
☐           Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
          
☐           Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging Growth Company           

 
 

 
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section13(a) of the Exchange Act.          □

Item 1.01.            Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

Introductory Note

On April 13, 2018, Royale Energy, Inc. (“Royale”), and two of Royale’s subsidiaries, Royale Energy Funds, Inc. (“REF”), and Matrix Oil Management Corporation (“Matrix”), consummated the second part of the previously announced Subscription and Contribution Agreement (the “Contribution Agreement”) with RMX Resources, LLC (“RMX”), CIC RMX LP (“CIC”), and entered into certain other agreements contemplated therein (the “Transaction”).  The Contribution Agreement provided that Royale, REF and Matrix will contribute certain assets to RMX Resources, LLC (“RMX”), a newly formed Texas limited liability company. In exchange for its contributed assets, Royale received a 20% equity interest in RMX, an equity performance incentive interest and up to $20.0 million to pay off Matrix’s current senior lender, Arena Limited SPV, LLC, in full, and to pay REF, Matrix and Royale’s trade payables and other outstanding obligations.  CIC contributed an aggregate of $25.0 million in cash to RMX in exchange for (i) an 80% equity interest in RMX,   with   preferred distributions until certain thresholds are met, (ii) a warrant (“Warrant”) to acquire up to 4,000,000 shares of Royale’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share and registration rights pursuant to a Registration Rights Agreement (“Registration Rights Agreement”).

The Contribution Agreement contemplated a two-step closing and funding, with the First Closing consummated on April 4, 2018 and the Second Closing consummated on April 13, 2018.

Letter Agreement

In connection with the Second Closing, the parties entered into a letter agreement related to the preliminary Settlement Statement process.  The parties agreed that, in lieu of the payment originally contemplated under Section 1.6(v) of the Contribution Agreement, the Royale Parties would receive the sum of $4,000,000, subject to adjustment. The $4,000,000 delivered at the Second Closing was an advance against amounts due the Royale Parties as Purchase Price, and the advance was subject to further adjustment in accordance with the Contribution Agreement.  In addition the Royal Parties acknowledged that RMX and CIC retained all rights to pursue any claims for indemnification that may arise from breaches with respect to the matters described therein.

The foregoing description of the  Letter Agreement is only a summary, does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the Letter Agreement, a copy of which is filed as  Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.


Item 2.01.            Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets

Second Closing on Contribution Agreement

On April 13, 2018, Royale, REF, Matrix, RMX and CIC satisfied the closing conditions and consummated the Second Closing of the Contribution Agreement and the description thereof set forth under Item 1.01 is incorporated by reference in this Item 2.01.

The information set forth in Item 1.01 with respect to the Transaction is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 3.02.            Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

The issuance of the Warrant pursuant to the Contribution Agreement and the description thereof set forth under Item 1.01 are incorporated by reference in this Item 3.02. The Warrant was issued in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as sales by an issuer not involving any public offering.
 
 
2


The information set forth in Item 1.01 with respect to the Transaction is incorporated herein by reference.


Item 9.01            Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d)            Exhibits

Exhibit No.
Description
2.1*
Letter Agreement by and among RMX, CIC, Royale, REF and Matrix (April 12, 2018)
   
*            Filed herewith.

SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
 
ROYALE ENERGY, INC.
 
 
 
 
 
Date: April 17, 2018
By:   
/s/ Jonathan Gregory
 
 
Name:  
Jonathan Gregory
 
 
Title:  
Chief Executive Officer
 

 

 

Exhibit 2.1
RMX RESOURCES, LLC
April 12, 2018
Royale Energy, Inc.
1870 Cordell Ct. Suite 210
El Cajon, California 92020
Attention: Chairman
Re:
Second Closing
Gentlemen:
Reference is made herein to that certain Subscription and Contribution Agreement dated April 4, 2018 (the “Subscription Agreement”), by and among CIC RMX, LLC, CIC RMX LP, Royale Energy, Inc., Royale Energy Funds, Inc. and Matrix Oil Management Corporation. Unless otherwise defined in this letter agreement, capitalized terms used in this letter agreement shall have the meaning set forth in the Subscription Agreement.  The Company and CIC propose to proceed with the Second Closing on or before April 12, 2019, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the remainder of this letter agreement.
The parties will proceed to the Second Closing as contemplated in Section 2.4 as if the parties had been unable to reach agreement on the Settlement Statement and the Preliminary Amount, except that in lieu of the payment contemplated under Section 1.6(v) of the Subscription Agreement, the Royale Parties will receive the sum of $4,000,000, subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 7.3. The $4,000,000 delivered at the Second Closing to the Royale Parties will be an advance against amounts due the Royale Parties as Purchase Price and subject to adjustment in accordance with the Subscription Agreement.
The Royale Parties acknowledge that the Second Closing Balance Sheet is a preliminary closing balance sheet, and as such the Second Closing Balance Sheet and Target Liabilities provided to the Company and CIC as required by Section 6.2(p) and Section 4.22 of the Subscription Agreement may be inaccurate and may constitute a Breach by the Royale Parties of the Subscription Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the list of accounts payable proposed by Matrix Oil Corporation lists accounts bearing the line items “current royalties payable”, “minimum royalties suspense”, “suspended royalties payable” and “disputed 918 royalties payable” may be inaccurate.
 

Royale Energy, Inc., et al.
Apriil 12, 2018
Page 2

In lieu of an reaching an agreement regarding the actual amount of any Losses as a result of potential Breaches existing as of the Second Closing, Date, CIC and the Company have elected to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Subscription Agreement at the Second Closing in accordance with the Subscription Agreement and this letter agreement. In connection therewith, and as consideration for the agreements of CIC and the Company in this letter agreement, the Royale Parties agree and acknowledge that the Company and CIC have  not waived and hereby retain all of their respective rights under Section 7.3 and Article VIII of the Subscription Agreement, notwithstanding the fact that the Second Closing occurs, but subject to the remainder of this letter agreement, to pursue a claim for indemnification with respect to any Breach with respect to the matters described herein pursuant to the Subscription Agreement and to exercise with regard to each such  Breach the right of setoff set forth in the MSA and any rights of setoff or recoupment under common law.  The Company may, at its option and in lieu of receiving cash from the Royale Parties, setoff and recoup amounts owed to the Royale Parties against or from, as the case may be, any amounts owing by the Company to the Royale Parties, including, without limitation, any amounts owed pursuant to the MSA.  The provisions of this paragraph and the preceding paragraph shall be read together with the second and third paragraphs of this letter agreement, such that CIC and the Company shall not be entitled to double recovery for events described as the Breaches and events resulting in adjustments to the Purchase Price.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, however, or any provisions of the Subscription Agreement to the contrary, the Royale Parties, the Company and CIC agree that the Company and CIC will not assert claims for indemnity arising from line items entitled “minimum royalties suspense”, “suspended royalties payable” or “disputed 918 royalties payable” on the proposed settlement statement (collectively, the “Suspense Obligations”) unless and until, (i) from time to time, the Company shall be obligated to make a payment to a third party with respect thereto (a “Deferred Payment Obligation”) or (ii) the Company shall either sell all or a majority of its ownership interest in the Sansinena Field or any Person or group Persons other than the CIC shall come to control, directly or indirectly, a majority of the voting equity interest of Matrix Oil Corporation (in either case, a “Material Ownership Change”).  In the event that a Deferred Payment Obligation is payable by the Royale Parties, the Company shall give the Royale Parties notice thereof, and failing payment from the Royale Parties in full in 30 days, shall be entitled at its sole election in accordance with the terms of the Subscription Agreement, to (i) offset such amount against any amounts owed to Royale, including under the MSA or (ii) treat such amount as an advance against any amounts to be paid to Royale in the future with respect to its Interest in the Company (as defined in the Company Agreement), which advance shall be deemed to bear interest at 12% per annum, accruing daily (360 day year) until repaid by the Royale Parties or until the Company shall have retained cash or property otherwise payable to the Royale Parties in respect of their Interest equal to the Deferred Payment Obligation plus accrued interest.  In the event that CIC or the Company shall become a party to an agreement contemplating a Material Ownership Change or either shall become aware of a Material Ownership Change, CIC and the Company will give the Royale Parties written notice thereof and the Royale Parties shall, within 30 days of such notice pay to the Company or CIC, as CIC shall direct, an amount equal to the entire amount of Suspense Obligations existing as of the Second Closing which are then reflected in the liabilities on the Company’s regularly prepared balance sheet.  The Company shall, at CIC’s direction, treat any amount due with respect to a Suspense Obligation as an advance in the same manner as Deferred Payment Obligations may be treated under clause (ii) in the next preceding sentence. Amounts due the Company and CIC with respect to the Deferred Payment Obligation or the Suspense Obligations will not be subject to the limitations described in Section 8.4 of the Subscription Agreement.
 

Royale Energy, Inc., et al.
Apriil 12, 2018
Page 3

In addition, and notwithstanding the next preceding paragraph, or any provisions of the Subscription Agreement to the contrary, CIC and the Company shall reduce amounts owed by the Royale Parties under Section 7.3 by an amount equal to any amounts collected by the Company with the assistance of Royale prior to the 120 th day following the Second Closing Date on accounts receivable existing as of the Second Closing from either of JVA (current amount $187,990.71) or Sunny Frog, and any post closing billings that are obtained from Longfellow that are currently contained in the “JIB clearance” account.
The Royale Parties agree that, to the extent required, if any, this letter agreement constitutes notice pursuant to Section 10.4 of the Subscription Agreement by the Company and CIC of one or more alleged Breaches with respect to the matters addressed herein and that no such alleged Breach shall be waived as a result of the Second Closing.
This letter may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall constitute one and the same original, and delivered by electronic or facsimile transmission.

[Signature Page Follows]



Sincerely,
 
RMX RESOURCES, LLC
 
 
/s/
By:
 
Title:
 
   
CIC RMX LP
 
By:  CIC IV GP LLC,
Its General Partner
 
 
/s/
By:
 
Title:
Manager
   
ACCEPTED AND AGREED:
 
ROYALE ENERGY, INC.
 
 
/s/ Stephen M. Hosmer
By:   Stephen M. Hosmer, Secretary
   
ROYALE ENERGY FUNDS, INC.
 
 
/s/ Stephen M. Hosmer
By:   Stephen M. Hosmer, Secretary
   
MATRIX OIL MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
 
 
/s/ Johnny Jordan
By:
Johnny Jordan
Title:
Vice President


Signature Page to Reservation of Rights Letter